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Monday, February 6, 2012

Couponing Reviewed by Mom Style!

You all know I love a good bargain which is why I am such a faithful coupon clipper. I have always clipped coupons but last year I really ramped it up. I am so glad I have done this because my savings has been STAGGERING! I save an average of 50% each time I hit the stores and I am building a healthy "stash" of non perishables which allows me to skip impulse shopping tips. Couponing is, hands down, the best way to start saving money right away. People ask me all the time how I manage to save so much and, I promise you, it is not tough. A few small changes has allowed me to save big...it is worth it! I have compiled a list of how I prepare and organize before I hit the stores and I hope you will find some useful tips before you hit the stores. You may have to tweak things for your lifestyle but I think you will find this mostly "no clip"method to be an easy way to save.

1.Get Your Coupons.Your
Sunday paper has the biggest stash of coupons so be sure you are picking at
least one copy up each week.I actually buy 2 papers (my savings
more than covers the price) and I have family members save me their
extras.You can also find free printable coupons in my Coupons
& Freebies section.

2.Make a Plan.This was a hard
one for me.I think we all get into the habit of just going to the
store and throwing things in the cart but that is when the totals really start
getting out of control.Before you hit the stores check out the
sales flyers and look at your coupons as you make your list.I try
and always buy products that are on sale AND have a coupon.When I
have a really great deal I stock up on those items and stash the extras for when
I run out.There are some wonderful sites that can help you with
your “coupon match-ups” (lists of sale items by store matched with available
coupons) and I highly recommend We
Use Coupons.You should also find a local deal blogger to
follow because they are generally right on top of the deals around town.
Beginning on Thursday I will be doing Shaws matchups here for the week along with links to any printable coupons so be sure to come back here if you are a Shaws shopper.

3.Get Organized.You will not
use your coupons if they floating around on the floor of your car or mangled at
the bottom of your purse (trust me I know this from experience!). I have a two part system for organization. The bulk of my coupons are "no clip" which means I take the circulars from the Sunday papers and I file them away. I use standard letter sized file pockets like these....

and I label them by date. When I check out the matchups (see above) I will know what files to grab to clip the coupons. As I normally have several of each circular, I can easily find all the coupons I need in one spot. Easy! I never, ever, clip coupons the "old school" way by clipping all for use later because there are simply too many for me to stay organized with. For internet coupons and coupons I find in outside of the circulars (in stores, in packages etc...). I use a check organizer that I picked up from Staples for $6....

It has 20
different slots which I label by section of the store (dairy, snacks, beauty
etc...) and I put my clipped coupons in the appropriate slot.I
use the front pocket for my shopping list and the coupons I am planning on using
for my current shopping trip.

4.Shop outside the box.Places
like Staples and Home Depot take coupons too.I recently purchased
paper towels for $.20 at Home Depot and scored some free sandwich bags from
Staples using my coupons.When you are out and about bring those
coupons with you…you never know!

5.Don’t go (too) bananas.I am
not out to buy 672 bottles of aspirin just because it is free (although I would
imagine the adrenaline rush would be quite something at the checkout
line!).I am realistic.My family needs milk and
produce and those essentials are almost never free.I do my best
to spend as little as possible on the other items like snacks and cleaning items
so my overall bill shows a savings of at least 50%.I am almost
always able to do this by shopping smarter and you can do it too.If you do find yourself in flurry of overbuying because something is free
(I recently did this with salad dressing!) your local food pantry will be more
than happy to take the extras off your hands and you can feel even better about
your savings.

I hope this list was helpful and if you have tips to share please feel free to comment below. Also, please remember to click HERE for printable coupons and, Shaws shoppers, come back on Thursdays for you coupon matchups! As always, I am happy to answer additional question so if you have any comment below or e-mail me at reviewedbymom@hotmail.com.